Container and closure therefor



' Sept. 5, 1939.

Filed June 10, 193'? swab m Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to containers, especially flexible walled containers, and to closures for sealing the openings thereof. The invention in particular relates to a container of the nature of a hot Water bottle. r

A hot water bottle is commonly made of rubber, molded into shape, and provided with a neck through which access is gained to the interior of the bottle. The neck is closed usually by a clo- :sure or stopper which is screw-threaded removablyinto a hard internally screw-threaded ring inserted in and fixed to the neck. It is common practice to attach the stopper to the bottle by a flexible chain or the like so that the stopper will not become lost.

Notwithstanding the fact that provision is made for attaching the stopper to the bottle, stoppers commonly become detached and lost, thereby rendering the bottle useless. A stopper may .be found and screw-threaded in the neck of the bottle, but if such a stopper happens to be intended for a different make of bottle, it is often found that the stopper, if it can be screw-threaded in the neck, does not fit tightly enough'to seal 25.,the bottle so that the bottle leaks and cannot be used. This is particularly true in hospitals.

The stopper and neck of the usual bottle are hard, unyielding and bulky so that they are often uncomfortable to the user.

It is an object in the present invention to provide a container, and especially a container having the nature of a hot water bottle, with a closure for sealing the opening thereof that is integral with the bottle and preferably is formed during the operation of molding thebottle;

A further object of the invention is the provision of a container, as a hot water bottle, having an integral closure for the opening thereof so arranged that it is of small bulk and preferably does not outstand beyond the configuration of the loaded bottle and is relatively soft and yielding as compared with the usual closure so that it does not cause discomfort to the user of the bottle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a resilient-walled container having, at least in effect, an integral closure for the opening thereof which utilizes the resiliency of a wall of the container effectively to seal the closure.

A yet further object of the invention is the pro-. vision of a container, as a hot Water bottle, having resilient, as a rubber, wall provided with an opening, and a closure member carried by another wall of the container, the closure member having somewhat greater dimensions than the opening sothat the material of. the opening is stretched byv the presence of the closure member in theopening, and hence is caused topress firmly against the closure member thereby to seal the opening.

A yet further. object of the invention is the provision of a resilient-walled container having an openingtherein. andan upstanding resilient neck surrounding the opening, another wall of the containerv having a headed closure member which is adapted topass through the opening, the neck snugly gripping the closuremember'and the top of the neck snugly seating upon the underside of the headcthereby to seal the opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision 1.1 of a container as a hot water bottle so constructed and arranged that it can be molded complete With its closure in asingle molding operation.

A further object of the invention is to further improvethe construction of containers and 010- sure members therefor. I

Fig. 1 is a plan viewof a hot waterbottle embodying the present invention.

Fig.2 isa longitudinal section takenalong line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4- is a detail of Fig. 2 illustrating the sealed condition of the parts.

Fig-5 is a plan view of a hot water bottle having a modified form of enclosure.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a molded rubber hot water bottle having flat front and back resilient rubber walls I0 and 12 connected by the end walls I4 and [6 which are provided with theusual ears [8.

In accordance with the present invention the container is provided with an opening 20 through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, the opening being inthe front wall It) and preferably near one of the end walls. In the modification illustrated in Fig. 1 the opening is long and narrow and is in the nature of a slot in extending transversely of the bottle. The opening is completely surrounded by an upstanding resilient neck 22 which is integral with the wall Ill.

The rear wall i2 is provided internally with a closure member that is disposed in confronting relation with the opening 20. The closure member comprises a projection or rib 24 which is integral with the rear wall I2 and upstands from the inner face thereof and is under and parallel u with the opening 20. The rib conforms with the configuration of the opening but is somewhat larger and hence is adapted to be forced into the opening and the material surrounding the opening is adapted to stretch to accommodate the insertion of the closure rib. The stretched resilient material of neck tends to expand and thereby snugly grip the rib continuously around the circumference thereof to seal the opening effectively.

The rib 24 is provided with a head 26 which outstands beyond the rib on all sides and a flat outstanding continuous seat 28 that is substantially normal with all sides of the rib. The height 7 of the rib from the inner face of the wall I2 to the seal 28 is approximately equal to the height of the neck 22 from the top to the inner face of the wall Hi. In use the rib 24 is forced into the opening 20 so that the head 20 projects through the opening and above the neck 22, the material of the neck stretching to permit the insertion of the rib and head. The neck is compressed against the sides of the rib throughout the circumference thereof and thereby seals the opening. The top of the neck is seated against the outstanding face 28 of the closure member and provides addditional sealing means that is effective in maintaining the opening sealed when the top wall Ill is subjected to internal pressure of the contents of the bottle.

The rear wall l2 may be of extra thickness as indicated at 30 under the rib whereby to reinforce the wall thereat.

The front wall l preferably is formed with upstanding integral tabs or ears 32 or the equivalent which can be grasped by the fingers as an aid especially in removing the closure member from the opening.

The bottle as illustrated can be molded in one operation in more or less the usual manner and when removed from the mold and cleaned is ready for sale. The closure member is not as high as the bottle is thick and hence is not in the way when the bottle is in use. The closure member also. is relatively yielding so that it is not uncomfortable to the user.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. the bottle is provided with a circular opening 20a surrounded by an upstanding annular neck 22a. With this form of opening the closure member comprises an upstanding cylindrical projection or rib 24a provided with the peripherally outstanding head 26a. The operation of the closure member in this modification is the same as has been previously described in the structure of Fig. 1.

In both modifications the wall of. the opening in the bottle constitutes a female closure member which cooperates with the male closure member which is a part of the rear wall.

While the invention has been described as incorporated in a hot Water bottle, the invention .is not necessarily restricted to this type of container.

I claim:

1. A container as a hot water bottle provided with an opening through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, and an upstanding closure plug for the opening rising from the inner face of the container integral with said container, said container being flexible at least in part to permit said plug to be positioned within said opening, and means releasably locking the plug in the opening.

2. A container having a wall provided with a flexible lip surrounding an opening therein through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, and means to plug said opening extended from the inner face of the opposite wall and having gripping engagement with the lip of said opening.

3. A container, as a hot water bottle, comprising a one-piece molded rubber construction having opposed flexible elastic Walls, one wall having an opening therein through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, and the other wall having integrally therewith a closure member which upstands from the inner face of said wall and confronts and is adapted to enter and seal said opening.

4. A container, as a hot water bottle, comprising a one-piece molded rubber construction having opposed flexible elastic walls, one wall having an opening therein through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, and the other wall having integrally therewith a closure member which upstands from the inner face of said wall and confronts and is adapted to enter and seal said opening, said closure member having an enlarged head which overlies said opening when the closure member is in the opening and the lip of said opening being elastic to stretch and admit the passage of said head through the opening.

5. A container, as a hot water bottle, having flexible elastic confronting walls one of which is provided with an opening and an upstanding neck surrounding said opening and the other of which has a closure rib extended from its inner face and conformed with the configuration of said opening and adapted to be positioned therein, said rib having an outstanding head adapted to pass through the opening and overlie and be engaged with the top edge of said neck.

6. A container having elastic rubber walls, one of which is provided with an opening through which the contents of the container are adapted to pass, said other wall having integral therewith a closure rib that upstands from the inner face thereof and is adapted to enter and stretch said opening, said closure having an outstanding head adapted to overlie the outer face of said first wall and said opening, and opening-stretching means carried by said first wall.

7. A hot-water bottle having flexible walls and a filling opening through one wall, and a closure member irremovably located Within the bottle supported by the inner face of the other wall of the bottle, the opening and the closure member being aligned to cause the closure member to enter the opening to plug the same upon flexure of the walls toward each other.

8. A hot-water bottle having a flexible wall provided with a lip surrounding an opening through which the contents of the hot water bottle are adapted to pass, and another wall having on its inner face a protuberance having an en larged head positioned to removably enter and grip the'lip of said opening and to plug said opening upon flexure of the walls toward each other.

FREDERICK LOBL. 

